Rotary oil-shale retort



June 1 1926. 1,587,256

J. H. TOUPET ET AL ROTARY OIL SHALE RETORT Filed April 9, 1924 2Sheets-Sheet 1 m a aylaze June 1 1926., I

- J. H. TOUPET E AL ROTARY OIL SHALE RETORT Filed April 9 1924 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR$ Patented June 1, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JULIUS H. TOUPET AND VANTON 0. FOULK, FIfITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA; SAID TOUPE'J. ASSIGNOR TO SAID FOULK.

ROTARY OIL-SHALE REIORT.

Application filed April 9, 1924. Serial No. 705,220.

Our invention relates to improvements in rotary retorts, and especiallyto a retort for recovery of oil from shale or of other substances orby-products, as ammoma, potash,

etc., from shale or similar raw mater al. In such mechanism, as atpresent practice, the natural oil-containing shale is submitted to theaction of heat, usually in retorts sub ject to external heating,together with means for introducing the shale, removlng the wastematerial, and extracting the oil vapor, etc.

Our invention has in view to provide a construction in which the rawshale is charged into the interior of a rotatable cylindrical casing,through which a series of heating conduits extend from one end to theother, having a circulating communication with a heating medium orsuitable source 9 of heat. Any convenient or available source of heat orheating means may be utilized for circulation through the heatingconduits, as superheated steam, air, gas. or other heat containing orheat imparting medium. In

,5 the construction illustrated, one preferred embodiment of theinvention is shown, utilizing a furnace or fuel burner at one end and anoutlet stack at the other.

.The rotatable casing is provided with lifting abutments whereby thecontained shale may be carried upwardly and dropped upon the heatingconduits, together with means for slowly advancing the shale toward theother end of the retort, means for continuously supplying raw shale, andfor withdrawing waste material, together with means for carrying off thevapors, and various other features of construction and operation, asshall be more fully hereinafter described.

Referring to the drawings, illustrating one preferred embodiment of theinvention,

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a complete retort, embodying ourinvention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in end elevation of the receiving end of the retort;

Fig. 4 is a view of the opposite end, on the section line IV-IV of Fig.6;

Fig. 5 is a cross section on the line VV ofFlg. 1;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view, enlar ed and partly brokenaway, on the line --VI of Fig. 3; and

stationary head 3, 4, respectively, by tele-' scoping engagementtherewith, each of such heads having a packing gland 5 for the purposeof making a vapor tight closure with the shell, as will be readilyunderstood.

Head 4 is provided with a supplemental extended head 6 at its rear end,communieating by conduit 7 with the furnace or combustion chamber 8, inwhich any suitable fuel, as gas, fuel oil, or'the like, is burned, inconnection with a suitable air supply from burner 9 and fuel supply pipe10. At the opposite end, a similar head 11 extends outwardly beyond. thehead 3, being connected therewith by flange and bolt connections, asindicated at 12, and having an outer flange for connection with thestack 13, as at 14.

Head 6 and head 11 respectively are located slopingly across the end ofthe cylindrical heads 4 and 3 respectively, as shown, in such a manneras to provide communicating widened box-like connections for the bank offuel circulating tubes 15, as in Fig. 5. Tubes 15, which are stationary,extend through one lower side portion of the retort, and are groupedaround the bottom and upwardly toward one side, as indicated, and withrelation to the direction of rotation of easing 2, so that the contentswill be carried upwardly and will fall over and through the pipes 15,continuously during the rotation of the drum.

For such purpose, series of elevating abutments, shelves, or vanes 16,of short sections of angle iron or other suitable material, are

bolted or riveted at intervals to the interior of the shell. extendinginwardly, and preferably at a slight angle longitudinally of the shell,so as to tend to slightly incline, with the effect of advancing theshale toward the outlet end, gradually during the tumbling operation,

If preferred, however, the shelves 16 may be arranged in exact alinementwith the longitudinal center and the same general efi'ect secured bytilting the retort slightly downwardly toward the heating gas supply andrefuse discharge end.

Raw shale is introduced through the front stationary head 3 by means ofa pipe conduit 17, having an interior spiral conveyor 18, driven throughsprocket gear 19 or either suitable means, and adapted to feed in theraw shale from a superimposed bin or hopper 20.

At the other end, waste material, i. e., the refuse shale after the oilcontent has been distilled therefrom, is carried off by a similarconveyor 21 in conduit 22, communicating with head 4 through adownwardly extending flanged delivery conduit 23 thereof, as in Fig. 4.Stationary heads 3 and 4 are supported on any suitable brackets 24 ateach end, and the intermediate rotatable cylinder is carried uponsupporting rollers 25 revolving in bearings 26 of brackets or beams 27,located between the ends at suitable supporting locations, dependingupon the length and weight of the cylinder and its contents.

Drum 2, at such locations, is provided with annular reinforcing andsupporting bearing or track rings 28, resting upon wheels 25, as will bereadily understood, and the drum is provided at its middle portion witha sprocket wheel or pulley 29 for connection with the wheel or pulley ofdrive shaft 30 of a suitable motor or other prime mover 31, and itsnecessary gearing and other parts.

The wheel 19 of spiral conveyor 18 is also geared by chain or belt 32with a terminal sprocket or pulley of shaft 30, as shown, and conveyor21 is driven in the same manner at the desired speed, either from thesame or a separate motor, as preferred.

For the purpose of conveying away oil vapor and gas, the conduit 33 isconnected with head 3, preferably near the upper portion of the retort,and beyond its active interior zone, whereby the vapors, etc. asreleased may be carried off. For such purpose, we prefer to utilize apositively acting vacuum pump, adapted to create a partial vacuum withinthe retort and a resulting compression on such condensing apparatus,through which the vapors, etc. may be forced, with or without an oilspray or other cleaner, toward the usual condenser. Such parts of themechanism are of well known construction and operation, and need not befurther described.

For the purpose of supplementing the {sealing effect of the packing box5 between the stationary heads 3 and 4 and the casing .2, we surroundthe joint beyond the gland "with a thin sheet metal ring 34 secured tothe edge of the gland and sloping towards and contacting with the casingat an angle of about forty-five degrees. The interior space is filledwith any suitable packing 35, as asbestos.

While the heating conduits 15 may be arranged in the straight series, asshown, it will be understood, of course, that such construction may bevaried in different Ways. Thus, in Fig. 8, we show one of a series ofreturn coils 15 providing for forward and back circulation through theheating cavity of the retort, such coils being connected by theiropposite ends to the terminal stationary heads 3 and 4:, respectively.By such arrangement, the full heating effect of the heating medium isutilized, with more even distribution throughout the interior, and thepipe coils may be arranged quite closely together for good contact ofthe contents being treated.

It will be understood, also, that, instead of the gases of combustionfrom furnace 8, the header or manifold 6 or conduit 7 may be connectedwith any source of supply for the introduction of superheated steam,air, gas, or other fluid heating medium, as desired.

Also, that electrical heat may be utilized in the manner shown in Fig. 9by enclosing proper resistance conductor 36 within each conduit 15", andconnecting it, either singly or in series, with a generator 37 or othersource of current.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the series of heating tubes 15 are groupedalong the lower side portion of rotating cylinder 2 with the inner tubesarranged as shown, so as to provide an approximate inclined plane, overwhich the shale will fall downwardly towards the bottom and be carriedupwardly by the vanes 16.

The advantages of our invention reside in its facility for easily,continuously, and completely operating to eliminate all of the containedoil content, by means of the very thorough exposure of the loose shaleto the heat and the constant tumbling and breaking up of the particles,whereby to effectually release the contained oil, and carry it off inits vaporized condition. The operation as thus carried out is verycomplete, resulting in the saving of practically all the desirablecontent and leaving a thoroughly stripped refuse.

It will be understood that the capacity of the retort may be adapted toany desired output or quantity of raw material to be handled withinphysical limitations and .practicable length. The gradual heatingof theraw material is effected by introducing it into the cooler end of theretort, wherein outgoing products of combustion are connected with thestack, the shale becoming gradually heated in its passage toward thecombustion chamber at the other end, and as gradually giving off itscontained oil, as the temperature increases towards the fuel supply.

By this means, the shale; is, therefore, subjected to the greatest heat,at the end where refuse is finally discharged, so that the operationis'carried out under the most favorable conditions. The relation of theheat to the portions of the retort, however, may be varied withincertain limits by control of the heating medium, or by adoption of thecoil form of conduit shown.

What We claim is our invention is:

1.-A rotary oil shale retort consisting of a horizontally arrangedrotatable drum, opposite stationary closing heads therefor having sealedconnection with the rotatable drum, a series of heating tubes extendinglongitudinally through the rotatable drum and through the closing headsat each end and comprising a bank located along one lower side portionof the interior of the drum with the inner tubes thereof arranged in anupwardly and outwardly sloping plane, means for introducing raw materialto one end of the drum and for withdrawing refuse from its other end,means for circulating heating gases through the tubes, and means forrotating the drum.

2. A rotary oil shale retort consisting of a horizontally arrangedrotatable drum, opposite stationary closing heads therefor having sealedconnection with the rotatable drum, a series of heating tubes extendinglongitudinally through the rotatable drum and through the closing headsat each-end and comprising a bank located along one lower side portionof the interior of the drum with the inner tubes thereof arranged in anupwardly and outwardly sloping plane, means for furnishingheating gasesto one of said heads for inward circulation through said tubes, meansfor carrying off said heating gases from the other of said heads as theyemerge from said tubes, means for introducing raw material through oneof said'heads, means for withdrawing waste products through the other ofsaid heads, means for withdrawing distilled vapors from the interior ofthe drum, and means for rotating the drum whereby to elevate materialtherein at one side and deliver it by gravity across said bank of tubes.

3. A rotary oil shale retort consisting of posite stationary closingheads therefor having sealed connection with the rotatable drum, aseries of heating tubes extending longitudinally through the rotatabledrum and through the closing heads at each end and comprising a banklocated along one lower side portion of the interior of the drum withthe inner tubes thereof arranged in an upwardly and outwardly slopingplane, an enclosing casing surrounding the inlet ends of said tubes beyond one of said heads and communicating with a furnace or other sourceof heating gases, a similar casing surrounding the outlet ends of saidtubes beyond the other of said heads and communicating with an exhauststack, means for supplying raw material to the rotatable drum, means forwithdrawing waste material therefrom, means for withdrawing distilledvapors from the drum, and means for rotating it.

In testimony whereof we hereunto aflix our signatures.

JULIUS H. TOUPET. VANTON O. FOULK.

a horizontally arranged rotatable drum, op-

